Every year, millions of dollars in South Carolina lottery winnings quietly go unclaimed—and most people don’t even realize it’s happening.
According to data from the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, forgotten prizes add up to about $30 million every single year. Sometimes it’s just a dollar or a $100 win, but over time, those missed payouts stack up fast.
Why do people miss their lottery winnings?
There are plenty of reasons, including:
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Losing or forgetting about draw tickets
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Not checking scratch-off tickets carefully
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Overlooking smaller “secondary” prizes
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Passing away before turning in a winning ticket
Lottery officials say it’s extremely rare for people to call asking about old tickets. In one case, a family cleaning out their mother’s home discovered winning tickets—but sadly, the claim deadline had already passed.
A million-dollar miss 😮
The biggest unclaimed prize in South Carolina history was a $1 million Powerball ticket bought in Clarendon County’s Gable community in 2023. The ticket matched five numbers (missing only the Powerball), beating odds of more than 1 in 11 million—yet the money was never claimed.
Deadlines matter
Lottery prizes don’t last forever:
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Draw game tickets (Powerball and similar games) must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing
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Scratch-off tickets must be claimed within 90 days after the game officially ends
Scratch-offs are especially tricky. Many games have multiple numbers, bonus boxes, and prize levels. For example, a $20 Magnificent Jumbo Bucks ticket includes:
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8 player numbers
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25 possible matching numbers
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3 bonus boxes
With that much going on, it’s easy to miss a win—especially a smaller one like $4 or $10.
Where does unclaimed money go?
While unclaimed prizes make up less than 2% of the roughly $1.5 billion paid out to winners each year, it’s still a huge amount of money.
When winnings aren’t claimed:
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The state keeps the funds
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Most of the money supports education programs and scholarships
Since the South Carolina Education Lottery launched in 2002, unclaimed prizes have totaled more than $468 million as of late 2025. If the trend continues, the state is expected to hit the $500 million mark by 2027.
Supporting education statewide
After covering prize payouts, advertising, and operating costs, lottery proceeds help fund:
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College scholarships
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K–12 education
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Higher education programs
In the most recent budget year alone, that support added up to nearly $690 million.
📞 Need help?
South Carolina’s Gambling Helpline is available toll-free at 877-452-5155.
Bottom line: Always double-check your tickets—because even a small win can make a big difference, and once the deadline passes, that money is gone for good.
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